Indoor air pollution is something that people have only started to think about recently. In the past, there has been a lot of talk about air pollution outside due to things like cars and factories and we all know that it can be bad for your health. But the air quality in buildings can actually be just as bad, if not worse, and it needs to be dealt with.
Your home should be a healthy relaxing space but it won’t be that at all if the air quality is bad. There are all sorts of different things that could be damaging the air quality in your home and if you don’t do anything about it, it could have a negative impact on your health in the long term. If you’re worried about indoor air pollution, these are some of the simple changes that you can make to reduce it:
Clean The Floors Properly
When you come from the outside into the house, you bring all sorts of dust and dirt with you. If that dirt is getting into the floor, it’s sitting there until you walk over it and disturb it, then it will be released into the air. That’s why it’s so important that you clean the floors properly if you want the air in your home to be fresh. With hardwood floors, it isn’t so difficult because the dust and dirt sits on the top where it can easily be cleaned up, but in carpets, it will get stuck deep down in the fibers. Vacuuming regularly is important but it won’t get it all out. You’ll need to clean the carpets properly with water which you can either have done professionally or you can invest in a carpet cleaner of your own.
A lot of people forget about rugs as well and they just give them a quick vacuum, but they’ll have a lot of dust stuck deep down as well. Rugs tend to be a bit more delicate so a carpet cleaner might not be the best idea because it could damage them. Instead, you should get a professional rug cleaning service to clean them for you, especially if you’ve got old antique rugs that could get damaged easily. They’ll be able to clean it with specially made products that will get rid of the dust and dirt without damaging the rug.
Ventilate Properly When Cooking
Recent studies show that cooking can actually create a lot more air pollution than people realize. If you’re ventilating the kitchen properly when you cook, it shouldn’t be a problem, but if all of those fumes are sitting around in the house then they could be doing you some damage. If you have an extractor fan in the kitchen, always make sure that you’re using it properly. Otherwise, you need to keep a window open if possible, especially when you’re cooking something that creates a lot of smoke.
If you want to be extra safe, you can always crack a window and put the extractor fan on as well. Always make sure that you leave it on for a little while once you’ve finished cooking as well so you can be sure that all of the fumes are gone.
Declutter The House
The more surfaces there are for dust to sit on, the worse the air quality in your home is going to be. Dusting and cleaning properly is important but if you have a lot of junk all over the house, you’re just making more work for yourself and you’re bound to miss spots.
That’s why you should try to declutter your home as much as possible if you want the air quality to improve. If you can keep surfaces clear, it will be a lot easier to wipe them regularly and clear out the dust, and your cleaning time will be cut in half.
Watch The Humidity
Dust mites and mold thrive in environments that have a lot of moisture so you need to make sure that you watch the humidity levels in your home. If you have a problem with it, you should get a dehumidifier for the winter and an air conditioning unit for the summer months.
Drying your laundry inside can also create too much excess moisture if the house is particularly humid and so can watering your houseplants too much. It may be worth getting a humidity monitor for the house so you can make sure that it sits somewhere between 30 and 50 percent.
If you do these simple things, you can make sure that the air quality in your house is good and avoid some of the negative health effects associated with indoor air pollution.
